Several rice producing areas where soil residuals of imidazolinone herbicides are present have shown the development of algae blooms, which, depending on density, may affect rice plant development. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different fertilizer management systems on the composition and structure of algae communities and also on rice yield in irrigated areas with imidazolinone soil residuals. The experiment was carried out in the crop year of 2008/09, at the Federal University of Santa Maria, where a field had been treated with imazethapyr + imazapic (120+40g i.a. ha-1) in the crop year 2 of 2007/08. The treatments included two different fertilizer management systems and two rice cultivars. The 'IRGA 417' showed greater phytotoxicity, but in the same way as the fertilizer managements, it did not affect rice productivity or the development of algae. Thus, the two fertilizer management systems tested and also the phytotoxicity of rice plants did not cause changes on the development of planktonic and periphytic algae, neither did it affect the yield of rice cultivars 'IRGA 422 CL' and 'IRGA 417'.
phytotoxicity; fertilizers; phytoplankton; periphyton
